Flexible coupling.



C. V. KERR.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 1913.

1,1 59,774, Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

wa Q gg 1 v I I I Gttomwg CHARLES VOLNEY KERR, F WELLSVILLE, NEW YORK.

FLEXIBLE court ne.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

- Application filed September 6, 1913. Serial No. 788,436.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES Vomwnr KERR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wellsville, in thecounty of Allegany and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a flexible coupling for shafts which is particularly adapted for high speed work, and the objects of the invention are, first, to construct and arrange the parts of the coupling so that owing to any changes or inaccuracies in alinement, variations of temperature in one or both machines connected by the coupling, the eflior destroyed; second, to construct and arrange the parts asto form a coupling having a smooth exterior surface, thereby preventing any possibility of an operator being caught by and drawn into the rapidly moving coupling; third, to so construct the parts of the coupling that there are provided two pairs of contact points arranged at right angles to each other, which permit movement in the direction of one pair without parting contact at the other pair: fourth, to arrange the parts of the coupling so that the driving is done by a couple, thereby preventing any pressure between the bearings; fifth, to provide a flexible coupling having one or more hard fiber floatmg rings or disks, which enable the coupling to operate with the connected shafts out of line as well as offset, and at the same time adapt itfor use as an insulating coupling for electric generators or motors; sixth, to construct and arrange a coupling so that when the same is rapidly rotated, the centrifugal force of the connecting and floating ring or disk is always in such a direction as to hold the said ring or disk in contact with the bearing points or pins of the coupling; and seventh, to construct a flexible coupling which will have all the functions above indicated and atthe same time will comprise the least number of parts, be inexpensive to manufacture, easily assembled or taken apart, and require the minimum amount of repairs.

The invention consists of structural features and relative arrangements of elements which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters indicate the-same parts in the several figures of the drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my coupling on line 1-1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2

is a section on line II-II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the flanges detached from the coupling, with the driving pins removed; Fig. 4 is a'side view of one of the driving pins, partly broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a displacement diagram indicatin the different positions of the driving an driven parts of the coupling through its phases of rotary movement. ciency of the shafting will not be altered Referring to the drawings, the coupling as shown in Fig. 1 consists of two rotatable members or flanges 1, 1, of cast iron or other members or flanges 1, 1, are also provided preferably with lunate shaped recesses 4 on their inner sides, for the purpose of receiving the inner or free ends of the pins 2, 2, thereby permitting a small longitudinal movement of said flanges 1, 1, toward each otherwith the attached shaft sections 5 and 6. Between the inner surfaces of the two rotary members or flanges 1, 1, and engaged by the pins 2, on said flanges, are placed one or more separated, and independent floating rings or disks 7, having openings 8, 8, so arranged that the bearing surfaces'or faces 9, 9, in the disks 7, 7, for the two pairs of pins 2, 2, are on diameters of the rings or disks at right angles to each other,and with the contact or bearing surfaces 9, 9, radiall disposed to receive the pressure of the pins 2, 2, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Said floating rings or disks 7,

7, may be made of metal or other material,

and a bearing strength equal to soft steel; also not affected by acid or oil, and acts as an insulator when the invention is used in coupling an electric generator or motor with some other apparatus.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Assuming the center lines of the driving shaft and the driven shaft are separated or displaced a distance equal to line .9, 8', indicated in the diagram shown in Fig. 5. The first position of the driving pins when rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow at will be D, D and that of the driven or follower pins will be F", F, and

the center of the floating ring or disk is at S with the diameters connecting the hearing faces of the driving and driven pins at right angles. If the driving pins move through forty-five degrees to the position indicated by D, D the driven pins are in the position indicated by F F and the center of the floating disk or ring moves through ninety degrees to S and if the pair of driving pins is turned through ninetv degrees to the position indicated by D D, the driven pins are at F F and thecenter of the floating ring or disk has moved from S to S or one-hundred and eighty degrees or one-half a revolution. When the driving pins are at D, D, the driven or follower pins are at F, F and the center of the floating ring or disk is at S and upon further rotation, and through an angle of one hundred and eighty degrees, of the driving pins, they will come into the ,position indicated. by D, l), with the driving pin which was at the bottom of the coupling at the top, and vice versa, and the center of the floating disk or ring will be again at S, said center having made a complete rotation or through three hundred and sixty degrees of a circle, whose diam .eter is the line 8,-8', and equal to the distance which the centers of the shafts are displaced or out of line.

Thus it will be seen from the foregoing description and operation of the invention,

' and as fully shown in the displacement diagram of Fig. 5, the rotation of the center of the floating disk or ring about a circle whose diameter is the shaft displacement is twice the rotation of the flanges or rotatable members and the connected shaft sections, and this rotation sets up a radial centrifugal force, as indicated bv the arrows c, 0 c and c, which tends always to slide the floating disks or rings into position and hold them there, to be properly and efliciently engaged by the driving and. driven. pins of the rotatable members.

It will be seen from the herein describedmeagre structural characteristics and relative arrangements of the elements comprising my invention, that l have devised a flexible coupling in which all the advantages and objects of the invention set forth in the introductory statement of invention are fully and efficiently carried out, and the coupling is readily adaptable when the shaft sections are not parallel, and permits free endwise movement of the rotating parts of driven or driving machines, and at the same time no side thrust is put on the bearings of the shaft sections, a most important feature and advantage over prior couplings of this character. Furthermore, the herein described coupling is Well adapted for transmitting power between shafts which are greatly out of line, or connecting a series of lengths of line shafting, where settling of floors or other supports for shaft bearings would throw said shaft sections badly out of lineand cause a great loss of power.

What I claim is 2- 1. A flexible coupling for shafts comprising two separated members or flanges, a pair of pins projecting from each of said .members and parallel with the axis of rotation thereof, said pins being arranged diametrically opposite each other, and a floating ring or disk loosely interposed between said separated rotatable members or flanges and provided with two pairs of holes arranged diametrically opposite to each other, each of said holes having a radial bearing face at right angles to the bearing face of the adjacent hole and engaged by a pin projecting from one of the rotatable members and into said hole.

2. A flexible coupling for shafts comprising two separated rotatable members or flanges, a pair of pins projecting from each of said members, and parallel with the axis of rotation thereof, said pins being arranged, diametrically opposite each other, and a plurality of floating rings or disks loosely interposed between said separated rotatable members or flanges and each pro-- vided with two pairs of holes arrangeddiametrically opposite to each other, each of said holes having a radial bearing face at right angles to the bearing face of the adjacent hole and engaged by a pin projecting from one of the rotatable members and into said hole.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES VOLNEY KERR. Witnesses: .VoLNmr A. KERR,

VIDA APPLEBEE Km. 

